The Count of Monte Cristo

Albert’s Defense of the Count

Albert dismisses all of Franz’s concerns, explaining that wealthy Englishmen commonly own yachts and that Monte Cristo purchasing the island was a wise precaution against government interference. He argues that Corsican bandits are simply fugitives, not villains, and that he cannot condemn the count for connections that saved his life and 4,000 piastres.

The Final Farewell

The count bids farewell, as he must depart for Naples and will not return before Sunday. Franz reveals he will remain in Italy for another year or two, bound for Venice. They part with the count’s cold, corpse-like handshake sending an unconscious shudder through Franz.

The Reminder Card

Before departing for Paris, Albert leaves a reminder card with the hotel waiter to be delivered to the count, inscribed with the appointment details: “27, Rue du Helder, on the 21st May, half-past ten A.M.”

KAPITEL 39. The Guests

On the morning of May 21st, everything is prepared at Albert de Morcerf’s pavilion on the Rue du Helder, where he has invited the Count of Monte Cristo to breakfast. The text provides an extensive description of Albert’s dwelling and its furnishings, including the mysterious small door that secretly bypasses the concierge’s vigilance, the successive rooms filled with evidence of Albert’s passing interests in music, painting, and the martial arts, and the eclectic collection of old furniture and rich fabrics that grace his atelier. At a quarter to ten, Albert receives his letters—including one from Madame Danglars—and makes arrangements for the evening, while summoning his valet Germain to prepare for the appointed breakfast at half past ten. Lucien Debray arrives punctually at five minutes to ten, a young man of official bearing whose conversation reveals his insider knowledge of the ministry’s political machinations regarding Don Carlos and Spain, and his own recent honor of the Order of Charles III.

Origins of the Morcerf Family Residence

The house on Rue du Helder was being prepared on the morning of May 21st for the Count of Monte Cristo’s visit. Albert de Morcerf occupied a pavilion at the corner of a large court, opposite the servants’ apartments. Between the court and garden stood the large, fashionable dwelling of the Count and Countess of Morcerf, built in the heavy imperial style. A high wall surrounded the property, broken by a gilded iron carriage gate and a small servant’s door near the concierge’s lodge. The residence revealed both a mother’s careful consideration—she was reluctant to part from her son yet understood his need for independence—and the “intelligent egoism” of a young viscount content to live in gilded indolence.

Layout of Albert’s Pavillon

Albert’s pavilion featured two windows facing the street, three overlooking the court, and two at the back opening into the garden. The street-facing windows allowed Albert to observe all passersby, satisfying a young man’s desire to watch the world traverse his horizon.

The Secret Small Garden Gate

A small gate near the concierge’s entrance appeared never to have been opened—its surface covered with dust and dirt. However, well-oiled hinges and locks revealed its true nature. This door escaped the concierge’s surveillance and jurisdiction, swinging open at a “cabalistic word” or a concerted tap from outside, like the famous portal of “Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves.”

Ground Floor Apartment Features

A long corridor formed the antechamber, leading to Albert’s breakfast-room on the right (overlooking the court) and the salon on the left (overlooking the garden). Shrubs and creeping plants concealed these ground-floor rooms from prying eyes. The downstairs salon served as an Algerian divan exclusively for smokers.

Upper Floor and Atelier Layout

The floor above contained similar rooms—a salon, boudoir, and bedroom—with an additional room created from the antechamber space. The boudoir communicated with the bedchamber through an invisible door on the staircase. Above this floor, a large atelier had been expanded by removing partitions, creating a space where “the artist and the dandy strove for pre-eminence.”